THE PRESIDENT: Good morning. At this hour, America's brave men and
women in uniform are engaging our enemies around the world. And in this
time of war, our elected officials have no higher responsibility than to
provide these troops with the funds and flexibility they need to
prevail.

On Wednesday, I met with congressional leaders from both parties here at
the White House. We discussed ways to pass a responsible emergency war
spending bill that will fully fund our troops as quickly as possible.
It was a positive meeting. Democratic leaders assured me they are
committed to funding our troops, and I told them I'm committed to
working with members of both parties to do just that.

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FAQ

I've appointed three senior members of my White House staff to negotiate
with Congress on this vital legislation: my Chief of Staff Josh Bolten,
National Security Advisor Steve Hadley, and Budget Director Rob Portman.
By working together, I believe we can pass a good bill quickly and give
our troops the resources and flexibility they need.

Earlier this week, I vetoed the bill Congress sent me because it set a
fixed date to begin to pull out of Iraq, imposed unworkable conditions
on our military commanders, and included billions of dollars in spending
unrelated to the war. And on Wednesday, the House voted to sustain my
veto by a wide margin.

I recognize that many Democratic leaders saw this bill as an opportunity
to make a statement about their opposition to the war. In a democracy,
we should debate our differences openly and honestly. But now it is
time to give our troops the resources they are waiting for.

Our troops are now carrying out a new strategy in Iraq under the
leadership of a new commander -- General David Petraeus. He's an expert
in counter-insurgency warfare. The goal of the new strategy he is
implementing is to help the Iraqis secure their capital, so they can
make progress toward reconciliation and build a free nation that
respects the rights of its people, upholds the rule of law, and fights
extremists alongside the United States in the war on terror. This
strategy is still in its early stages, and Congress needs to give
General Petraeus' plan a chance to work.

I know that Republicans and Democrats will not agree on every issue in
this war. But the consequences of failure in Iraq are clear. If we
were to leave Iraq before the government can defend itself, there would
be a security vacuum in the country. Extremists from all factions could
compete to fill that vacuum, causing sectarian killing to multiply on a
horrific scale.

If radicals and terrorists emerge from this battle with control of Iraq,
they would have control of a nation with massive oil reserves, which
they could use to fund their dangerous ambitions and spread their
influence. The al Qaeda terrorists who behead captives or order suicide
bombings would not be satisfied to see America defeated and gone from
Iraq. They would be emboldened by their victory, protected by their new
sanctuary, eager to impose their hateful vision on surrounding
countries, and eager to harm Americans.

No responsible leader in Washington has an interest in letting that
happen. I call on Congress to work with my Administration and quickly
craft a responsible war spending bill. We must provide our men and
women in uniform with the resources and support they deserve. I'm
confident that leaders of goodwill can deliver this important result.